1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming apparatuses and image forming systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
(1) Printers having, for example, an image bearing body for bearing a latent image, and a plurality of attach/detach sections to each of which a developer container for containing developer used for developing the latent image can be attached, are known as image forming apparatuses. (See, for example, JP 2003-15409A and JP 2004-4466A.)
In this type of printer, a plurality of developer containers, each containing developer of a color different from one another, are attached to each of the attach/detach sections to form color images. Further, from the viewpoint of forming a large number of monochrome images, the above-mentioned printer may form monochrome images by allowing developer containers, each containing developer of the same certain color, to be attached to all of the plurality of attach/detach sections. It should be noted that, from the viewpoint of keeping the color-image quality high, it is preferable to attach each of the developer containers that contain the developer other than the single-color developer only to a predetermined one of the attach/detach sections.
In order to achieve this, there has been a demand for an image forming apparatus that allows, with ease and without giving rise to attachment errors, the developer container containing the single-color developer to be attached to any of the plurality of attach/detach sections, and each of the developer containers containing developer of a color other than the certain color to be attached only to a predetermined attach/detach section.
(2) Also known as image forming apparatuses are printers having, for example, an image bearing body for bearing a latent image, and an attach/detach section to which a developer container for containing developer used for developing the latent image can be attached. In this printer, the developer container is attached to the attach/detach section with a portion thereof covered by a lid unit. (See, for example, JP 2003-131471A.)
In this type of printer, there are cases in which the developer container is colored to have the same color as that of the developer contained therein, from the viewpoint of letting a user etc. distinguish the color of the developer contained in the developer container. Further, there are cases in which the front face of the lid unit is colored from the viewpoint of allowing a proper developer container to be attached to the attach/detach section.
In such cases, if the color of the lid unit is the same as that of the developer container at a boundary section between the lid unit and the developer container, then there is a possibility that the user etc. may incorrectly recognize the lid unit as a part of the developer container and may try to detach the developer container in a state where the lid unit is still covering a portion of the developer container. This may cause damages in the lid unit etc. when trying to detach the developer container from the attach/detach section.
(3) Also known as image forming apparatuses are printers having, for example, an image bearing body for bearing a latent image, and a plurality of attach/detach sections to each of which a developer container for containing developer used for developing the latent image can be attached. Such printers are capable of forming images using a plurality of types of developer (See, for example, JP 2003-15409A and JP 2004-4466A.)
Such printers are capable of handling a plurality of types of developer. However, in cases where the developer that can be used is determined in advance due to specifications of the printer etc. or in cases where a plurality of colors of developer are used when forming color images, the attach/detach section to which each of the developer containers containing the respective colors of developer can be attached is fixed in advance. In view of the above, there has been a demand for an image forming apparatus that allows a developer container containing a suitable developer to be easily attached to the attach/detach section.